Hello everyone,

I heard about Open Source Ecology over the weekend while listening to an interview on NPR. I thought the idea was fascinating and am interested in getting involved. I don't have experience as a machinist or designer, but I am a farmer and know what type of equipment I would like to have.

I have been raising dairy goats since 1999 and am interested in starting a commercial, sustainable, small-scale dairy. I have researched dairy equipment and have found most equipment to be prohibitively expensive for the small dairyman without taking out a significant loan. Most dairy equipment is sized for dairies that are milking 50 or more cows. There are many small producers of goats, sheep, and cows that would like to be able to make and sell dairy products commercially but have a hard time finding suitable dairy equipment. There are a few places such as Bob White Systems (http://bobwhitesystems.com/) and Micro Dairy Designs (http://microdairydesigns.com/) that sell micro dairy equipment that is less expensive, but even this is often out of range of the typical small producer (not to mention shipping costs since there are limited sources for the equipment).

Any equipment designed must meet Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) for Grade "A" dairy standards (http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/MilkSafety/NationalConferenceonInterstateMilkShipmentsNCIMSModelDocuments/PasteurizedMilkOrdinance2007/default.htm).

Items that would be helpful to the small dairyman would be:

PMO qualifiying design plans for barns, milking parlors, and creameries using sustainable building practices (CEBs might be ok for barns, but probably not for milking parlors and creameries).

Milking systems including vacuum pumps, pipeline and bucket milking systems, milk pumps, bulk milk coolers, and clean in place units.

Dairy furniture such as wash sinks, cheese draining racks and tables, etc.

Dairy processing equipment such as pasteurizers, cheese vats, cheese presses, bottling machines, etc.

Dairy transportation equipment such as trucks and trailers for livestock, small scale milk trucks for transporting milk to creameries, and refrigerated trucks for transported completed products to market.

I would love to work with a designer or engineer who would be interested in helping develop this type of product. I can supply knowledge of the small dairy industry, milk production, and livestock production. I need partners who have technical and machining skills.